Hollow Queen: Pt1 Revision
by thedogstarfoundhiswolf
Summary: For hundreds of years, the world has sought to create the perfect human being. Fast, smart, strong, beautiful... but nothing has ever worked. However, when a young girl stumbles upon Konoha, the fine line that had been drawn between dreams and reality will become blurred, and life will never be the same again. Violence-MildLanguage-Shisui/OC/Itachi
1. Chapter 1

**Fall asleep to dreams of home,**  
**Where the waves are crashing.**  
**The only place I've ever known,**  
**Now the future has me.**  
**I see the fire in the sky,**  
**See it all around me.**  
**I said the past is dead, the life I had is gone.**  
**Said I won't give up,**  
**Until I see the sun**

**Red, Hold Me Now**

* * *

Blink.

Eyes are closed.

Eyes are open.

Breathe.

The simple sound of air rushing from the lungs echoed, reverberating off the walls and bouncing back to their creator. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe in. Breathe out. There was nothing else to do except sit there and breathe. _It's time to sleep again_, they said in their soft voices; voices that sang in low, sweet tones, lulling the mind into a perpetual state of abeyance. _Sit down, relax, and breathe. Listen to the beating of your heart. Feel your surroundings, _the voices sang. _You are the center of the world. You will be perfect. Now open your eyes. _

A room the size of a broom closet was revealed when the darkness was lifted and a dim light flickered to life overhead. There was a young girl sitting in the corner furthest from the door, her head buried behind her arms which were wrapped around her legs. She was still; so still in fact that it was difficult to tell if she was even breathing. And then a violent shudder tore through her tiny body and she lifted her eyes to the light. Her protuberant amber eyes squinted up at the tiny bulb, expressionless, before she turned them towards the door.

_It's time._

She unwound her arms from around her legs and pressed her palms against the metal, another shudder ripping through her body. Her lips parted slightly and she inhaled sharply, closing her eyes against the light that suddenly seemed far too bright. She shook her head; words formed in the back of her throat, but she said nothing unable to find her voice.

_It is time. Please stand._

She pushed herself forward onto her knees and took a deep breath, fighting the tremors that were now freely keeping her from following orders. She slid her foot forward, placed a hand against the wall, and dragged herself into a standing position. Her legs shook uncontrollably and her body tilted backwards suddenly, slamming against the wall. Her jaw clenched tightly, but she didn't make a sound, and her nameless expression didn't change.

_You will be perfect. Please continue._

She was on her feet now. Moving forward, sliding her hand against the cold steel of the wall, she advanced on the door. There was no handle. There was no way for her to leave on her own. She tilted her face towards the ceiling and took another deep breath, closing her eyes, visualizing her goal that was beyond the door.

_It is time. Do you accept the mission?_

She opened her eyes. They were ablaze.

"I accept."


	2. Chapter 2

**There's an hourglass of time**  
** Counting down all of our lives**  
** And with every grain of sand**  
** Time is slipping through my hands**

**-Don't Mess With Ouija Boards, Falling in Reverse**

* * *

There was no time left. The air left her lungs in short bursts of urgency. Her body was screaming at her to stop and rest; the danger that was on her heels couldn't possibly be more important than her own well being. But it was. It was the most important thing in the world, because if she stopped, should would have failed. Failure was not an option. It would be more acceptable to run herself into the ground, dying in her attempt to escape from the enemy, than to raise her hands in surrender. There was nothing that she needed to protect. There was no top secret information to steal from her. Except that it was only her basic survival instincts that kept her feet moving, step-by-step, in the direction of who knew where.

The muscles in her legs were on fire, and she knew that in a very short amount of time, running would no longer be an option. She glanced over her shoulder, bit her bottom lip, then turned her attention back to the town that seemed to rise suddenly from the ground. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but the massive silhouettes of buildings were hard to mistake for anything else. There she could figure out a plan. A dozen different ideas buzzed in her head at once, warring for dominance. She twisted to the left, almost tripping over her own feet, and scrambled into and alley. She needed to get out of sight long enough to rest and plan. She needed five minutes. That's all she needed.

"You take the left," a man shouted, "the rest search over there. No one leaves until she's found!"

In a panic, she ducked into the nearest shop. She tripped and hit the ground, but crawled beneath a table without regard to the burning in her hands and knees. She put her right hand over mouth to quiet her gasps and placed her left hand on her chest in the hopes of slowing her erratic heart. Her whole body shook; adrenaline coursed through her veins, making it more than a little difficult to keep herself from twitching restlessly. Her eyes shifted from side to side, scanning the floor for the feet of her pursuers. She could hear them outside, hissing at each other in irritation at having lost their target.

If they would just ignore the shop and leave thinking she had outwitted them, she could complete her mission. Everything could go according to plan. She took deep breaths, closing her eyes for the briefest of seconds before she opened them again.

"Did you check the shop?"

"No, sir."

The door slammed against the wall as one of the men stormed inside. His footsteps were loud and heavy; he practically shook the entire building with every step he took.

"Lieutenant," the man barked, "check upstairs. She has to be here somewhere."

"Yes, sir!"

A long moment of silence passed. She could hear the footsteps of the man upstairs stomping about mercilessly. They were all acting like brutes. Whether it was because they had no clue as to how to be quiet or they were just doing it to intimidate her, she didn't know. But if it were the latter option, it was working.

"Come out little girl," the man who had remained downstairs murmured. "You're only making this difficult on yourself. We don't want to hurt you."

Her breath hitched in her throat, emitting a quiet hiccuping sound. The room got impossibly quieter. Her heart skipped a beat and eased into a deathly still pace; her liquid gold eyes were ablaze with what could only be described as fear. Despite her best efforts, her trepidation could not be concealed.

"Lieutenant, seal all of the entry points. She's in here."

"How do you know?"

"She made a noise," he said quietly, moving slowly around the room. "I can't sense her; I'm shocked at her level of chakra control. But I heard her. Check the tables."

She panicked again. Whipping her head from side to side, she sought for an exit, but found none. She had lost. The table cloth flipped up, and a pair of black eyes settled on her. For a few seconds, the eyes were angry and hard, but then they warmed into something that could be described as kindness, or even sympathy. They stared at each other for a long moment, black on gold, until the kind eyes disappeared and were replaced with triumphant brown ones.

"Found you!"

The girl lashed out with her foot suddenly, anger coursing through her veins. Her heel slammed down on the man's wrist. He howled in pain and fell back, giving her a few seconds to duck out from under the table, rise to her feet, concentrate chakra in her hand, and hold it to her throat. The two men stared at her in shock. The one with kind eyes held his hands up in a show of surrender, but she didn't lower her hand. Her heart raced uncontrollably, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she was screaming.

"Don't be so rash!" The older man shouted angrily, rising to his feet. "You've lost."

Her jaw clenched against the rebuttal that was resting on the tip of her tongue. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she pressed her hand against her throat harder.

"Stop!"

It came from the one with the black eyes. She stared at him for a long time, and then without really realizing what she was doing, dropped her hand. The angry man rushed forward and grabbed her. Vaguely she could feel her arms being restrained behind her back, and though she felt the urge to fight against him, her body would not listen. She felt very heavy, but the angry man tossed her over his shoulder effortlessly. Her eyes stared at nothing in particular, but the lack of emotion unnerved the men who had been ordered to keep an eye on her.

Only three minutes had passed since she had hidden and hoped for a better outcome than this. She ignored the stabbing pain in her abdomen and remained limp, feeling no urge to fight. As they ran, she closed her eyes. It had been late at night, but now it was early in the morning, and off in the distance came the promise of a bright, sunny day.

Though try as hard as she did, her heart rate would not go down, and crimson images flashed through her mind with rapid fire speed. She didn't want to care about the things she knew they were going to do to her. She wanted to shut down and just let it happen until everything came to an end and darkness would greet her like an old friend. Grotesque ideas of how she knew she was going to be tortured relentlessly for information she didn't have assaulted her mind. She wanted to feel the desire to fight back, but she could not make it happen. It was simple; while her mind had not given up the hope for success, her heart had. She simply could not find the will to move or fight. She could not find the will to live. If her situation had not been so dire, she would have laughed at the irony. Born to fight with no will to live.

A subtle wind blew, rustling the leaves of the trees that surrounded them on all sides. The leaves whispered promises of sweet nothingness, lulling her deeper into a sort of abysmal outlook on life. Nothing screamed at her anymore. Nothing burned in the back of her mind, urging her to never give up. The fire that made her eyes blaze golden had performed its final dance and flickered out, leaving her eyes the color of a pale, lifeless hazel. She had contented herself with the fact that after the hours of pain she would have to endure, she would die. But through the numb content, she felt impossibly heavy, as though the world had contented itself by sitting on her shoulders, unpacking its burden, allowing it to bear her down.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're only making this worse on yourself," someone murmured close to her ear. "If you would just tell us everything we want to know, this wouldn't be happening."

Anger coursed through veins; the temptation to slap the man at her ear was overwhelming, but due to the fact that her entire body was restrained, she could not do anything. Her wrists were bound to the arms of an uncomfortable wooden chair by thick, scratchy rope. Her legs were bound in the same way, by the same exact scratchy rope. And on top of all of the rope, there were invisible restraints, holding her down by making her feel like she weighed a thousand tons.

"Just answer our questions."

She stared at them passively, expressing no emotions, though she could feel them writhing inside her. If there was anything she had learned in life, it was to show no fear. Exude no anger. Shed no tears. There had been times when she had made slip ups, but this was something that she could vaguely remember being trained for; or rather, that she had already been tortured before, and she therefore knew what to do. The memories of intense pain was all she had.

The man standing in front of her, the man with a bandana on his head and scars marring what might have been an attractive face, gestured to his comrade, jabbing his thumb in an upwards motion.

"This is going to be the last time," he leaned forward, his dark eyes seeming to look past her and into her soul. "Where did you come from?"

_Rule number one: you are nothing. You have no home._

Those words drifted through her mind like an afterthought. Her lips parted as though she were about to speak, but then she closed her eyes and leaned back into the chair, pressing her lips together into a thin line. The man frowned and glanced at his comrade. Was it possible that she was willing to tell them everything but was held back by a greater force?

"What's your name?"

She opened her eyes. A frowned twisted her lips. "Na-ame?"

"What are you called?"

A grimace. She shook her head and closed her eyes again. The man sighed and brought his hands together. At that moment, an unbearable amount of force pressed against her head. Her eyes snapped open and she glared at the man in front of her. With a gasp, he stumbled back, but was caught by his team.

"What happened?"

He turned around to speak, keeping his voice low so the prisoner couldn't hear. Her hands twitched upwards, wanting so bad to rub her temples. Her head was throbbing. She did not like what they were trying to do. This was much different from the pain she remembered. Back then it merely hurt, but now she felt exposed... almost as though they were reaching inside her mind. It would make sense. She wouldn't talk. What else were they supposed to do?

"What do you want from me?"

Nobody turned around to see who had spoken, though her voice was unmistakable despite being impossibly quiet. She glared in their direction, aiming for the defiant look, but the barest tremble of her lower lip belied any form of rebellion.

"She's just a kid," one of the women whispered, her eyes wide and concerned as she looked down on the prisoner. "This shouldn't be allowed."

"This child was on the outskirts of our village, sniffing around too close to the borders. I don't think we had any other choice." Scar Face barked. "She's more skilled than we know. She's blocking our attempts at looking into her mind, she evaded capture for over two days, and she concealed her presence to the point of nonexistence. Tell me she's 'just a child.'"

The woman didn't look happy. "All I'm saying is that, regardless of how talented she is or where she was looking around, she is in fact a child. I'm going to go speak with the Hokage. Being a prisoner is one thing. Torturing a child for information she most likely doesn't have is another."

With those last words, the woman stormed out the room. Scar Face huffed irritably and turned to his team. "We're done for today. See to it that she's properly confined and guarded."

"Yes, sir!"

Two men walked up to her and began undoing the ropes, though the pressure on her body never went away. One of the men, who was taller by a foot than the other and much slimmer, lifted her out of the chair and walked out of the small room they'd used for a torture chamber. She decided to remain limp, not that she could move anyway, or had much choice in the matter, but her body was aching, and she didn't want anymore trouble. Not today, anyway.

When the men reached their destination, they walked into a room that was about the same size, if not smaller, than the torture room, which had been about the size of an average bedroom. The man set her gently on the ground and attached a metal cuff to her ankle. He glanced up at his comrade, nodded once, and the other man left.

The one who stayed sat down and leaned forward on his elbows to rest his chin in the palms of his hands. She watched him wearily, hardly daring to blink.

"So, what is your name, anyway?" He asked, not unkindly.

She frowned. "Why do y-ou want to kn-ow?"

He shrugged. "I really am curious. Not because you're our prisoner or anything, but because you really are just a kid. Kurenai-senpai was right."

"Ku-re-na-i?"

He smiled. "Yeah, she was the one who got angry and went to talk to the Hokage about torturing little kids."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So, your name?"

She frowned again, lines forming between her eyebrows as she concentrated. "Na...o...ko." She paused, thinking about it for a second. It felt familiar on her tongue, but there was a bitter aftertaste to the name, too. Like eating something that was sweet then sour. "Naoko."

He chuckled.

"What?"

He waved it off. "Nothing. I guess I just find the meaning of your name ironic is all."

"The meaning?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you're name means obedient, right?"

"I do not know." She grimaced, casting her eyes downwards.

"I'm Shisui, by the way," he said quietly. "Uchiha Shisui."

"U-chi-ha... Shi-su-i?" She didn't look up. Her frown deepened. Was it just her name that was bitter tasting, or was his name just different from the rest? It didn't feel like a coincidence. Maybe it was just her.

"That's right," he said. "Want me to tell you a secret?"

She looked up at him, weary again.

He smiled conspiratorially and leaned forward, still holding up his head with his hands. He kept his voice low. "I'm not supposed to be inside the cell. I'm supposed to guard from the outside."

"That is not a good secret." She paused for a moment then said, "Then why are you with me?"

He shrugged. "I don't know who you are, where you came from, if you're dangerous, if you're evil... but that's cool. Cause you don't know me either." He hesitated, then shook his head smiling. "Never mind. So, are you sure you don't know where you came from?"

"I..." she hesitated, twisting her fingers harshly from side to side. "My memories are dark. I remember nothing but darkness."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I open my eyes," she raised her hands to her eyes and made an opening motion, "and see nothing. I hear things," she gestured to her ears, "but I do not see anything. It is very dark. I was alone for long periods of time." She paused, thinking. "They sometimes let me see the sun."

It was quiet for a long time. Naoko looked away from Shisui and stared at anything that wasn't him. She didn't know what she was feeling; it was something new, and she couldn't name it, and she didn't like that. There had never been a time when she couldn't figure something out and come up with an answer or resolution. Every problem had a solution. A predestined positive outcome that only she could figure out quickly enough for it to be able to work. But she was left hanging now. There was no way out. No clever solution. No trapdoor. Nothing.

"Are you even human?"

Shisui reached forward suddenly, but before he could even get close to touching her, she sucked in a sharp breath and flinched away from him. Instantly he retracted his hand.

"I'm sorry." He shook his. "I'm an idiot. I wasn't going to hurt you, though."

She shook her head, but didn't open her eyes. "Forgive me."

He frowned. "For what?"

"I do not have the right." She visibly relaxed, but didn't move back to her original position. She kept her back against the wall and her face angled away from him.

He sighed. "You have to be the strangest person I've ever met."

"Strange?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Not normal. Weird. Not average. Uh, and a bunch of other words that mean the same thing."

"Oh," she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I understand."

"Yo, Shisui!" The door to the cell flew open and the same man who'd been with Shisui earlier barged in. Shisui leaped away from Naoko as though he were a child that was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "The Hokage wants a word."

"No." Shisui said, his embarrassment gone as quickly as it had come. It was replaced with a teasing expression. "There, give him that word."

"I don't think that's the word he wants. Hurry up and finish up with your-"

"I'm coming!" Shisui said loudly, interrupting the man's sentence before he could finish it. "God, just give me a minute!"

The man winked. "Will do, Shisui-kun. Just wrap it up. Morino-san is there with him so I think it would be best to not keep either of them waiting."

Shisui shuddered. "Right. Now get out!"

When the door was closed, Shisui sagged with relief. Naoko eyed him closely. "You do not like him?"

Shisui startled. "Who, Ginjiro?"

"If that is what he is called."

"Oh, no," he laughed. "He can get annoying sometimes, I guess. But he's a pretty cool guy. Definitely nicer than most of the higher-ups."

Naoko nodded. "I understand." But in truth, she didn't. "Do you need to leave?"

"Yeah, I guess I do." He hesitated. "I'll be back later." He held out his hand with a grin. "It was great meeting you, Naoko!"

She frowned at his hand. "Likewise."

"You're supposed to shake it."

She reached forward and wrapped her hand around his. "Like this?"

"Yup!" He grinned and shook her hand. "I'll see you later."

"Alright."


	4. Chapter 4

**Kill the machines **  
** We've spawned to fight in the darkest hour **

**-The Guillotine, Escape the Fate**

* * *

When the door closed behind the man who called himself Shisui, Naoko could only describe herself as relieved. For whatever reason, she felt uneasy around him. It wasn't like it was a bad feeling; no, it wasn't bad. The fact of the matter was that she simply did not like feeling foreign things. She did not understand foreign things simply because they were indeed foreign. There was no way she knew how to deal with this new obstacle in her life. There was a part of her that wanted to revel in it. She liked to think that she was more than just a prisoner. More than just a playing piece in the game of life. Then there was a part of her that said to ignore it. A prisoner had no right interacting with another human being as though they were not going to be sentenced to die soon.

Naoko frowned and pulled her legs close to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. It had certainly occurred to her that dying was a possibility. Given her current situation, the death penalty would not surprise her in the least. A small part of her welcomed the thought of death. At least then she wouldn't have to worry about the fact that she had failed her mission. Her frown deepened and she hugged her legs tighter.

She couldn't even remember the mission. What if she had been able to get free that night? What if she had been able to escape? Would she have been able to remember her mission after all the stress she had undergone? She shuddered and closed her eyes. There was no way she could show her face to the people who had given her the mission. They had entrusted her with a task she had been unable to fulfill. She felt ashamed, angry, and humiliated all at the same time. What kind of shinobi was she if she couldn't even remember a simple mission?

"Pathetic," she whispered, throwing her head back against the wall. It slammed against the stone with a satisfying crack, though her dissatisfaction came with her inability to feel the blow. "Unacceptable."

She sighed and opened her eyes. The very thing she didn't want to think about was still buzzing around her head like a swarm of bees. Shisui's 'promise' to be back later echoed in her thoughts. There was a part of her that wanted him to come back. There was also a part of her that wished that he would stay away from her and treat her like a normal prisoner like the rest of them. It was his fault that she felt so uncomfortable. It wasn't like she was supposed to be comfortable anyway, but as comfortable as she could possibly be, Shisui had stolen away all possibility of it. He made her something similar to nervous and ill at ease. As reluctant as she was to say it, she hated it. There was nothing she hated more than feeling uneasy or nervous. It was rare when she felt such tedious emotions, but she felt them nonetheless. And they were unacceptable.

_"You have to be the strangest person I've ever met."_

And what was that even supposed to mean? Not normal. Weird. Anything that meant the same thing. But what exactly was normal to him, didn't seem normal to her. Was chatting with prisoners like they were old friends considered normal to him? If she asked, would it be normal for everyone else, too? Or was he just unique? Was Shisui just one of those rare people who could do absolutely anything? It seemed like it.

Naoko sighed and let go of her legs, stretching them out in front of her. Whenever later was, she had a feeling it wasn't going to be any time soon. So instead of working herself up to the anticipated second meet with Uchiha Shisui, she turned and laid down, pressing the soles of her feet against the stone wall. Directly above her was a small window allowing a small shaft of sunlight to leak into the room. If she stretched enough, the sun would be able to touch her face.

But there was no point. Soon enough the sun would be replaced by the moon, and darkness would reign once more. A sick feeling settled in her stomach; something similar to unease. She didn't like the thought of being in a dark room for hours and hours. Or rather, an unfamiliar dark room. That's what she didn't like. She sighed and lifted her hands into the air, blocking her view of the window. It wouldn't do to continue to think about it, but what else was she supposed to do to occupy herself? She wondered for a brief moment what prisoners did to entertain themselves. Obviously they were locked up for a long time, either chained to a wall like her or just completely restrained. She sat up and looked around, but even in the darkness, she could tell that the room was completely empty. She took a deep breath and loudly blew it out in a long sigh.

Being a prisoner was a first for her, if it wasn't obvious. She completely didn't know how to handle the situation. Was she supposed to be grateful that they hadn't immediately killed her when they had finally found her? Or rather, should she be _upset _that they hadn't immediately killed her? It occurred to her that it would have been the normal thing to kill an outsider who was sniffing around the borders of another village. It looked suspicious, and wouldn't it be prudent to get rid of a liability? If it had been her, she would have killed herself on sight. It just wouldn't make sense to keep a prisoner who probably didn't know anything.

"Do I know anything?" She whispered out loud, grimacing. She didn't feel like she knew anything. If there was anything to remember, it all came to her in the form of dark memories. Nothing but inky blackness surrounding her. There were no memories that she could recall without some form of a headache. Was this a coincidence or something that she was doing without realizing it? Was her subconscious keeping her from seeing these memories, or was it keeping any outsiders from seeing these memories?

Disregarding those thoughts, Naoko lowered her left hand and placed it on top of where her heart kept a steady rhythm. She could feel it beating against her hand, and that simple feeling made her feel something akin to joy, or even relief for that matter. At times like these, times where all she could do was dwell on the negative, it was the even pace of her heart, the sound and the feel of it thumping, that kept her calm. She supposed it was the ability to prove that she was alive, even though there were times she wished for death. Maybe deep down she didn't want to die, it was just a nice thought. It was a nice feeling to know that she existed. That she was real. That the things around her were really real. And that it wasn't just a dream or some type of twisted nightmare.

There wasn't much logic in using a heartbeat to prove her existence, but it comforted her nonetheless.


	5. Chapter 5

**To live and die by our own rules,**  
** Free..**.  
** Despite the fact that men are fools.**

**-Secondhand Serenade, Half Alive.**

* * *

"Keep your hands where I can see them. Don't make any sudden movements."

Naoko raised her eyebrows, but made no other move. She sat leaning against the wall with her hands raised in the air slightly and her legs stretched out in front of her. Two guards moved into her cell, the first holding a tray of food, the second being back-up should anything go wrong. Naoko reached out with her hands to receive the tray of food, slowly of course, and then watched as the two men hurried out of the room. The sound of a deadbolt sliding into place was her indicator that she was free to move again.

She sighed and put the tray on the ground, eying its contents. How long had it been since she had been in captivity? A week? A month? A year? The only way she could tell that a day had passed was by the rising and the set of the sun, but after so many days of counting with no way to record, you lose track. And so Naoko had lost track of how many days she had been locked up. She reached for the roll of bread and pushed the tray away, contenting herself with nibbling on the edges of the bread. Only just a few hours before had they brought her a breakfast that had consisted of cold tea, porridge, and three apples slices. That had been more than enough for her.

As she ate, she kicked her feet from side to side and hummed quietly under her breath. Ever since the first night of her imprisonment, her mind had conjured up a short, dark sounding song. It had no lyrics, but even though it had a sad tone, it comforted her in a strange sort of way. So as she ate, humming her quiet song, her eyes as well as her mind wandered. It was how, for as long as she had been captive, she had kept herself sane. Whenever she laid down and looked through the window, she imagined the sun on her skin, warming her all the way to her bones. At night she would re-imagine the sun and picture herself sitting a tree, picking leaves and tearing them up before dropping them.

She sighed and glared down at her bread, then promptly tossed it back onto the tray. It landed with a dull clatter. Naoko leaned forward on her elbows and rested her chin in her hands. She estimated that it had been long enough to assume that no one was coming to help her. It had been a foolish thought on her part, but it was one she couldn't have helped nonetheless. Regardless of where she had come from, she had held on to the hope that she was important enough to someone; important enough to save, that is.

If she had ever planned to escape, it could only be described as futile. Ever since the beginning of her captivity, her captors had kept watch over her twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. If the guards were changing shifts, no one left until both of the new guards arrived. Two guards were always on duty, day or night, rain or shine. It didn't matter. To an extent, this frustrated Naoko. But then she thought to herself, "If I try to escape, then surely I will die. Do I truly want that?"

More than once, she had thought about dying. It was both a pleasant and unpleasant thought. But every time she thought about it, some feeling of dissatisfaction arose in her. At first she thought it was because she disliked the thought of dying, even if she wanted it. Now though, her thoughts were different, if only slightly. She supposed it wasn't that she just 'disliked the thought of dying.' No, she figured it was because she wanted to prove something before she died. Maybe she wanted to prove that she was more than what the circumstances she had been placed in made her. She had the feeling that, despite the fact that she was guarded so heavily, underfed, and bound, her captors underestimated her. They didn't believe she could escape. They didn't believe she could cause any kind of major damage to them or their village. They didn't believe she was worth the precautionary measures they were taking against her.

And if she was going to be any more honest with herself, Naoko would admit that these thoughts hurt her, if only a little bit. It was the idea that she wasn't worth all of this that hurt her. Surely she was. Surely. But how could she be sure?

"Knock knock," the door opened, and the light that tried to brighten the room was blocked by the tall man that stood in the doorway. He waited for a few seconds before he frowned. "You're supposed to say, 'Who's there?'"

"Shi-" she grimaced and closed her mouth, leaning back against the wall. Her face became devoid of any emotion. Her eyes followed him as he and another man she vaguely remembered stepped into the room and closed the door. No one spoke for a few seconds, and then Shisui was all smiles as he walked over and sat down in front of her.

"Guess what?"

She didn't respond.

"Do you not like the guessing game?"

She stared at him. He turned away from her and looked at his companion. "Has she been like this ever since I left?"

The other man shrugged. "Pretty much. She eats and sleeps. Some of the other guards swear they hear her singing or something sometimes, but no one has actually caught her doing it. Other than that, she's pretty unresponsive."

Shisui frowned. "Well, I'll just tell you then," he turned back around to face her and offered her a small smile. He held up a single key. "You're free to go!"

Her fingers twitched ever-so-slightly, but nothing else in her calm facade changed. "I do not understand."

He held out the key for her to take. She didn't touch it. He sighed and grabbed her hand, placing the key in the palm of her hand. "It's not that difficult to understand. You're not a prisoner anymore. You're _free_ to go." He paused, thinking to himself. "But I guess you're not entirely free to go are you? You aren't allowed to leave the village, but that's just a minor detail. I know you'll love it here though. You're an official citizen, Naoko. How do you feel?"

"Confused."

He grimaced. "What do you not understand? I think I'm making it pretty clear that-"

"Why?"

Shisui and his companion exchanged weary looks. "What do you mean, 'why?'"

"Why am I being let go after so long?" She asked, frowning. "Why am I not allowed to leave the village if I am truly being let go? It does not make sense. I will stay here where it does make sense."

"She has a point."

Shisui let out an exasperated breath and glared at his companion. "You aren't helping." He turned back to Naoko. "Do you remember the lady I told you about? Kurenai."

"I do."

Shisui nodded. "Good. Well, she convinced the Hokage to let you go. He agreed that a kid wouldn't know anything of value."

"I am the enemy. I was on a mission on the borders of your village." Naoko snapped. "I am not a child."

"You look like one," the other man observed. "You're short, you're alarmingly tiny, and even though you sound older than you look, you have the temperament of a child."

Naoko glared at him. "I am not a child."

Shisui sighed. "Will you come with us or not? I want to give you a tour of the village." After a moment of silence he added, "It's your home now, so you're going whether you want to or not. I'm more than capable of taking you out of here by force, but I don't want to do that. It's your choice. Sort of."

"What is this?" She held up the key.

"That?" Shisui grinned. "It's the key to something else. I'll show you that later. I like to think of it as a surprise. Anyway, are you coming or not? I can't unlock that cuff until you give me your answer."

She sighed and reached up to rub her face. "And I have to agree?"

"You do. Otherwise you'll force my hand." Shisui said, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He was fighting to keep a serious expression. She wasn't excited to be free, even if she had to stay in the very village that had tortured her, so he was excited for her. He wanted to show her why his village wasn't all bad. Everything he loved about the village, he wanted her to love, too. He wanted her to think of it as home. Call it selfish ideals, but that's what he wanted.

"I will go," she let her hands fall into her lap. She looked up at Shisui. Even though he was sitting, he was still taller than her. Naoko didn't know how that was possible. Had he grown since the last time she had seen him? "On one condition."

Shisui's companion burst out laughing, unable to control himself. A glare from both Naoko and Shisui silenced him. "What's your condition?"

"If I do not like the village, I want to return here." She paused. "Or I would like to be killed."

"You're crazy!"

"Ginjiro, shut up!" Shisui rounded on him, his eyes burning. Ginjiro swallowed hard and nodded, taking a few steps back. Shisui pinched the bridge of his nose and turned back to Naoko. His expression was unreadable, but hers was content; smug, even. "Is there anyway to change your mind on this condition?"

"Absolutely none." She said in a steely tone. "Take it or leave it."

He sighed, then reached into his pocket, pulling out another key. He was smiling again. "Well, your condition is null. It won't even matter. I already know you're going to love the village."

"What makes you so sure?"

He shrugged. "Call it fool's intuition."

* * *

**A/N: So, I'm not entirely sure how the age thing works in Itachi's time period. I did all the kind of research I could, but I couldn't really find anything. I didn't know of any influential females in that time period either. Or at least, any that were actually in KONOHA. For real. It's so difficult. But, anywhoodles, I just thought I would apologize for any discrepancies between the ages of the characters and the actual time period. Making up my own characters would throw things off balance, but I also don't want to make these guys too young, you know?  
**

**Anyway, I'll just tell you my guesstimated ages and the ages I pretty much aimed for them to be.**

**Naoko: ten, that's her actual age, but no one actually knows that, so they give her an age based on her overall appearance and her temperament. She's supposed to have little to no emotions (we figure out why later, I will give away no details- mwahahahaha!) but again, I'm trying to work on this "no emotion" thing. it's difficult.**

**Shisui: about twelve. I figured he was a year or two older than Itachi, but I don't recall any of my research actually proving this. But I can just see Shisui and Itachi as a little brother, big brother thing. It's so cute.  
**

**Itachi: he's ten, because I figured it would be best for him and Naoko to be around the same age. I figured it would allow me some leeway with his introvert personality and get used to writing his character. I'm still working on that. I apologize if he's OOC in later chapters. **

**Ibiki: I guesstimated he'd be early twenties in this time period. In Naruto Pt 1, he was in his late twenties, early thirties, so this guy just made sense to use.**

**Kurenai: (DON'T HURT ME) Like I said, finding influential and present female characters for this time period was surprisingly difficult, and I didn't want to create a new character. Kurenai will be of use later on, but that's because of who she already is. If I had created an OC for her role in this chapter, and the previous one, it would have thrown me off.  
**

**Um, I think that's it for all the age unknowns. Think so? PM or leave a review if you're confused about anything I've said, or if you'd like to inquire about the story in general.**

_じゃあね！_

_Jā ne!_

_See ya!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Where can I turn? 'Cause I need something more**  
** Surrounded by uncertainty, I'm so unsure**  
** Tell me why I feel so alone **

**-Paramore, Conspiracy**

* * *

She hadn't exactly known what to think of the village while she was imprisoned. All she had known was that, on her way in, there had been a lot of trees. The only people she had met were the ones who had tortured her and confined her and all but forgotten about her. Needless to say, her first impression had not been a good one, but then she had been given to opportunity to see it all for herself. And by God, it had not been how she had expected it to be one bit.

A part of her had thought that there would be sly looking people hanging out on corners with big overcoats, urging people to buy their shady products. Behind them would be tall, buff men _or _women backing them up, ready to defend their questionable form of income. She had wanted to believe that they were all evil, violence seeking people. But they weren't like that at all. Some of them smiled at her. There had been one or two people that had been curious of the new face and had introduced themselves, completely oblivious to the fact that she was the enemy.

Indeed, her condition was null, as Shisui had so aptly phrased it. The village was very warm. A part of her enjoyed it.

"So what do you think of the village so far?" Shisui asked quietly, leaning over her shoulder.

She stepped away from him and cleared her throat. "I am still thinking."

"Well, while you think, we're going to the second place you'll see here in Konoha. You'll be here pretty much everyday, except for if there are emergencies within the village, extremely bad weather, or it's just a break period. We call it the Ninja Academy."

"I do not need to go to school."

"Oh, on the contrary. If you want to be a ninja in this village, you have to graduate from the Academy. It's the rule. You couldn't fight it no matter how hard you tried. It's been this way for many years. Keeps kids off the battlefield."

Naoko sighed. "How long would I have to attend this school?"

Shisui frowned, thinking. "Well, as long as it takes until they think you're a proper ninja, honestly. They can keep you in the Academy until one of two things: you get too old, or you drop out. But you can also graduate before others in your class. My cousin, myself, and the majority of my family, actually, did that. Graduated before everyone else in their grade. My cousin completed school in only a year. He's on his way to becoming a Chuunin, but he's not quite there yet. Though, it wouldn't surprise me if he's a Chuunin by the end of the week."

"Chuunin?"

"Yeah, it's the next rank up from a Genin. There's Genin, Chuunin, Jounin, ANBU, and then Hokage. You can't get anymore powerful than the Hokage. He's the head of the entire village. He's there for a reason."

Naoko nodded, pondering this. "Even if I am an outsider, I can still become a ninja of your village?"

"Of course. You aren't the only outsider." Shisui nudged her in the side with his elbow. "There are tons of people who live here who weren't born in the village. It's not like we arrest everybody who comes close to our village. Only the suspicious ones. Some of the people who weren't born here, but have lived here for a while, are Genins."

"Did they go to school, too?"

Shisui nodded. "Yeah they did. It was a separate school because they were much older than the upper classes in the Academy, but they went to school too. The only reason you'll be enrolled in the Academy is because you're still young."

"I am still young?"

"Yes, you are." Shisui stopped walking and grabbed his chin. His eyes traveled up and down her body for a long moment, before they paused on her face. "I would guess that you're ten, or somewhere around that number. You're too short to be any older, and you're too smart to be any younger." He shrugged. "Am I right? Or did I cut it close?"

Naoko frowned and looked away. "I am unsure. I have never been given an age."

He chuckled. "It's not something you're given. Do you know your birthday?"

She shook her head. "I have never been given that, either."

He sighed. "We'll figure that out later. Come on, were almost there."

Shisui jogged ahead of her and grabbed her wrist, lengthening his strides and pulling her along behind him. Trying to keep up with him wasn't an issue. The issue was that he had so casually put his hands on her. It didn't make any sense to her, and she was in the good of mind to pretend that she hated the village and go back to her prison cell. Or even better, have someone kill her. It would make things easier for everyone. At least, that was how she thought of it. Shisui would probably tell her that he knew she was lying. How could she not love the village?

Indeed, how could she not? It was so warm, and not just the weather. It was the people that lived there; their smiles, the way they so casually walked up to strangers and introduced themselves. It was the way they offered their help to those very same strangers without a moments hesitation. Naoko found herself mesmerized by it all; confused but transfixed by it all. When Shisui had told her things about the village on their way out of her holding location, his love for his home was obvious. She could understand why he loved it so much. The only problem was that she didn't know if she could ever feel the same way he did.

It was nice. She liked it. But it couldn't go any further than that. She felt no attachment towards the village. There was no reason to want to stay there. If she was given the choice to live in the village or die, her choice was obvious: die. Why live somewhere and be unhappy when you could die and feel nothing at all? It was a morbid thought, but it was true nonetheless. She found no contentment in the thought of living in this village for the rest of her life. Found no peace in the knowledge that she could live the rest of her days in a place she, truthfully, had been forced to call home.

"Here it is!" Shisui said, gesturing grandly to the building before them. "The Ninja Academy!"

Naoko shielded the sun from her eyes as she craned her neck to try and look towards the top of the Academy. The building towered three or four stories high; it was difficult to tell. The walls were washed an off white, and the tiles of the roof were a pale, ugly orange color. There were multiple posters of long since faded advertisements posted all over the front walls. Above the main entrance was the symbol of the village. Unsurprisingly, it bore a striking resemblance to a leaf.

Naoko grimaced. "This does not look like a school."

"I would take you for a tour of the inside, but the doors are all locked until the new year begins. That's going to be in just a few weeks, actually. Excited yet?" He turned to her with a grin, but his happiness ebbed slightly when he saw that she was still staring up at the building with an unhappy look on her face.

"Naoko?"

"Hmm?" She turned to face him, her golden eyes dull.

"How are you liking the village so far?" He asked. "It can't be all bad yet. You haven't even seen the greatest part.

This piqued her interest. No, she didn't hate the village yet. So naturally, she was curious about this so called 'greatest part.' "What is it?"

He held out his hand, his grin returning. Naoko hesitated. "Come on and I'll show you. I know you'll love it."

Hesitating for only a fraction of a second more, Naoko took hold of Shisui's hand and allowed him to drag her through the village once more. She ignored her surroundings and focused on the building that was slowly growing bigger as they got closer. Already she didn't see how it was supposed to be the greatest part, if that was even the place they were going to. She held back her disapproval however when they stopped in front of the long, ovular building. It towered five stories above them and was fashioned with the same off white walls and pale, ugly orange tiles that the school had.

"What do you think?"

She bit back a derisive snort. "I do not have any words to describe it."

"I know it's not much, but it's all we can offer right now. We can't exactly house you with any of the citizens at the moment, and none of the people who know about you are willing to house you because-"

"I am a prisoner and an enemy of _your_ village." She looked at him expectantly.

"No, no, no! Not anymore, you're a citizen now. This is-"

"Do not lie to me." She turned back to the building and took a deep breath. "I am staying here?"

He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. Sorry."

"Do not apologize." She looked down at her hand and stared at the little silver key that was laying in her palm. "And this is the key to my new home?"

"It is." He hesitated for a few seconds before he said, "Naoko, I know it isn't much, but I thought it would still be nice. You know, living on your own. You can leave whenever you like. You don't have a curfew. You really are just a normal citizen."

"A normal citizen who isn't allowed to leave the village." She said quietly.

He sighed. "Would you like to go inside now?"

"Please."

He gestured for her to follow him. Shisui led her into the building and all the way up five flights of stairs to the very top, where they walked down a long hallway until they reached the very last door. Shisui stepped back and looked at her expectantly. She stepped forward and unlocked the door. She stepped inside and looked around. Surprisingly enough, the inside looked better than the outside. Just beyond the genkan and to the right was the entrance to a small yet convenient kitchen. Further down the short entrance hall was the main room, which consisted of a sofa for three and dinner table with a single chair. To the left were two doors: one for a bathroom, the other for her bedroom.

"Do you like it?"

Naoko hesitated. "It is nice," she allowed, her eyes roaming the simplistic living space. "It is not what I expected."

Shisui chuckled. "The outside was a little intimidating, I know. Oh!" He fished around in his pockets until he pulled out a small envelope. He handed it to her. "This should take care of this months rent and utilities. You don't have a job or anything yet, so the Hokage is paying it until you're an adult." In his other hand he held a silver chain link bracelet. "Also, the council wanted me to give you this. A homecoming present is what they called it."

He took a step forward and grabbed her hand, lifting her arm so he could attach the bracelet to her wrist. "Do you like it? I didn't know they had decided to get you gift. If I'd known, I would have tried to get you something to warm the place up."

She didn't trust it. "I like it." She looked up at him. "I do not need anything, thank you."

He nodded, rocking back on his heels. "Well, I guess that's it. There isn't much else to show you. This was the final stop."

She nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He hesitated for a moment. She could practically see the gears turning in his head. "If I'm not asking for too much, would you mind it if I came over tomorrow? We could go for a walk or something you know. Maybe go out to eat. Oh!" He grinned. "We could go to my favorite restaurant! You haven't lived until you've eaten there."

She couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I would not mind."

"Alright," he nodded, smiling. "Great! That's great." He began backing away, his smile never fading. "So I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," she agreed, following him to the door. He turned on his heel and opened the door. She closed it behind him and leaned against it, pressing her forehead against the wood. She took deep breaths, letting them out slowly. She turned and slid to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. "What am I doing?"

She rested her forehead against her knees and sighed. "Tomorrow."

* * *

**Well, I told myself that I would get in one more chapter on the very first day of 2014, and look at me now, yeah? I did it! And, to be honest, it's actually, genuinely longer than the last chapter, which was roughly about a thousand and some odd words. I don't remember how much. With the song added and then the A/N, it made it two-thousand and two-hundred and nine. This one, without the lyrics and note, is about two-thousand one-hundred and something. Awesome right! I love it!**

**So I hope you guys like this chapter. I hope you all have an absolutely AMAZING New Year! I know I will. Love you guys! Stay safe. **


	7. Chapter 7

**I am outside**

**And I've been waiting for the sun**

**With my wide eyes**

**I've seen worlds that don't belong**

**My mouth is dry with words I cannot verbalize**

**Tell me why we live like this**

**-Paramore, We Are Broken**

* * *

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

As the seconds passed, the sun got lower and lower in the sky, casting shadows in the corners, making them writhe and dance. They grew bigger and bigger until they had turned the entire room into one big shadow. Naoko raised her head slightly, just enough to peer over her arms. A small part of her was shocked to see how dark it had gotten; just how long had she been sitting in front of the door? She shuddered and lowered her head again, feeling her heart beating heavily against her ribcage. There were no words to describe how she was feeling. But she knew she wanted to scream. She wanted to run away, break something, do anything. Anything that would make her feel differently than she did now.

It was infuriating.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

She took a deep breath and raised her head again, further this time, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she tried to rise to her feet. In a way, she felt numb. Her mind wandered to places they shouldn't be. Even now, though she had been reassured many times that she was a citizen, she still worried about what would happen to her. What _would _happen to her? There was no way that this was a permanent situation, and if they expected her to believe they would leave her alone from this point on, it was wishful thinking on everyone's behalf. She was an outsider; a complete stranger and potential threat to the entire village. They wanted her to snap. They wanted her to panic and do something stupid that would allow them to kill her.

And maybe she wanted to do it, too.

She leaned her head back against the door, fighting to keep her breath at an even pace. If she didn't calm herself down now, she would panic. There was no telling what would happen. What if something went wrong and the villagers somehow found out that she wasn't just a new face, but someone who could easily kill them all? What if they found out that she was the enemy? What if they found out that, at the end of the day, their deaths would be the means for her escape? What would they do to her? Would they cast her out? Or would they kill her?

She let out a shaky breath and brought her hands to her face. Something cold touched her cheek, and looking down at her hands, she saw the glint of a little key in her palm. She frowned, staring at it for a long time. She turned it over, this way and that, examining it closely. It was unscratched and new, silver and cold-foreign. She took a deep breath, held it in a for a few seconds, and then let it out slowly.

Then she stood, pocketing the key as she got to her feet. On her way up, her shoulder hit a switch, and a humble light flickered on over the table. Beyond the table was a sliding glass door that she hadn't noticed the first time she'd seen her new apartment. Naoko took a few stumbling steps forward, keeping her hands slightly raised just in case she fell. She was very aware of her off sense of balance; the world sat at an angle tonight.

When she reached the door, she gripped the handle and pulled, trying to open the door, but it didn't move an inch. She grimaced and leaned down, checking the lock. It wasn't locked. She yanked on the door again, but it still would not move. She took an unsteady step backwards, staring at the door like she had seen a ghost. Had someone sealed the door? A hysterical laugh bubbled up past her lips, and she shook her head, reaching up to grab her hair. Of course they had sealed the door. She had known it all along; she was still a prisoner. Shisui had been wrong.

She took a shaky breath and walked back to the door, trying again to pry it open. She yanked and pulled, using her entire body to try and open the door, but it didn't move. She swore loudly and pulled one last time, but her fingers slipped and she went crashing into the table. She yelped in pain and rubbed the back of her head, wincing. Her eyes flicked up at the door, and anger clouded her vision. She screamed as loud as she could, lashing out with her foot, slamming it against the nearest chair. It slammed into the table, but didn't nothing else. She growled under her breath and kicked the chair again. This time it clattered to floor beneath the table and settled with a satisfying crack.

Shaking, she took a deep breath and rose to her feet. Naoko turned and looked at the fallen chair for a brief moment before she picked it up, gripping the back so tightly her knuckles turned white. She aimed and then swung the chair at the glass. The window shattered, spraying glass onto the balcony. With the door gone, a frigid blast of air rushed into the room, making Naoko shiver. She hugged herself tightly and stepped out onto the balcony. Her eyes took in the sight of the entire village laid out before her, all of its grandeur taking her breath away.

She took a small step forward, barely registering the sound of glass crunching beneath her bare feet, and sat down down. She closed her eyes and began humming under her breath. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

She opened her eyes. "One, two, three-"

Lightning flashed, dividing the sky in half with a single red streak. Seconds later, thunder crackled. The wind whipped her hair around her face, a few drops of rain hit her skin. Naoko closed her eyes again and began humming her song once more.

"I've never heard that song before. What's it called?"

She didn't respond and kept humming. The voice she had heard sounded familiar, but if she was correct, which she knew she was, Shisui was the last person she wanted to see right then.

"Naoko-"

"Do not speak!" She snapped, her golden eyes blazing. She glared at him, but he stared at her with an unreadable expression. "I do not wish to listen."

She was surrounded again. Naoko shook her head. "No peace."

"You are in no place to make orders, girl."

"I have a name."

"Not that I care enough to use it," the man barked.

Naoko's jaw clenched tightly, and her hands, which were pressed against the ground, pressed harder against the glass.

"Captain, she's bleeding."

She swayed slightly but was able to keep herself sitting upright. Her vision blurred slightly; black edges in her periphery made everything look fuzzy. She opened her mouth to speak, but then she shook her head, pressing her lips together into a thin line. The shinobi that stood around her, ready to attack if they needed too, were baffled by her actions.

She opened her mouth again, taking in a deep breath before she spoke. "I do not want to escape."

They were silent. Her eyes turned towards the ground and stared at her hands. Crimson was rapidly pooling around not just her hands, but everything within two feet of her. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight. She was fascinated by it. Naoko raised her hand and watched as the blood dripped from her fingertips and made small ripples in the puddle of blood.

"I am no one." She whispered, swaying again. "I have no home." Her eyes fluttered shut, and she began to fall. "I am very tired."


	8. Chapter 8

**Trust me**

**There's no need to fear**

**Everyone's here**

**Waiting for you to finally be one of us**

**-Three Days Grace, Let You Down**

* * *

When she woke up, the first thing that registered in her mind was the fact that there were people speaking, and they were very close by. She could hear them, but she couldn't actually make out what they were saying. When she opened her eyes, however, there was no one there. She turned her head towards an open window, watching the curtains as they rose and fell with the coming and going of a warm breeze. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, but the lack of any sort of expression on her face didn't change. Her golden eyes, which were usually bright, were now dull and almost brown looking. Her skin was almost as white as the sheets she was laying under.

"Well, look who's awake."

Her head rolled to the right and her eyes landed on a tall brute of a man with deceivingly kind green eyes. She remembered those eyes to be cruel and angry. She shivered involuntarily as he took a few steps closer to her bed. She tried to raise her hand, but then realized her movements were restrained. Her eyes fell upon brown straps that held her arms down.

"We couldn't take any chances, so we tied you down." The man said, almost conversationally. He could have been talking about the weather. "I hope you don't mind."

She let out a long breath and look away from him, unable to respond. She didn't entirely know what she wanted to say. Even if she did, she didn't think it was possible to put her words together correctly. It was difficult to think.

"Uchiha-san," the green eyed man turned to greet someone. "Did you tell the nurses that their patient was awake?"

"Yes sir."

"Shisui…" Naoko turned her head, but the person her eyes were searching for was not there. Only the green eyed man and a shorter person were there, watching her with curious eyes. Her expression hardened as she stared at the masked person. "Who are you?"

"You don't need to worry about that right now." The green eyed man stepped into her line of sight, blocking her from seeing the masked person. "How are feeling? Would you like something to drink?"

She turned her head away again, ignoring him. He chuckled.

"She's practically catatonic," the man said. "Get her something to drink, Uchiha-san. I'm going to find the nurses to see what's taking them so long to find their way up here."

"Yes sir." The masked man moved forward, walking towards the sink. Naoko watched him work out of the corner of her eye. She noted that though it was the same color, his hair was longer than Shisui's, and he was much shorter; possibly by two or three feet, give or take a few inches. It was difficult to tell while she was laying down. He turned around with a glass of water in his hand and moved towards her.

"Can you sit up?" His tone was brisk.

She didn't respond. He sighed very quietly and placed the glass on the table beside her bed, then proceeded to slide his right arm underneath her back. She chose not to warn him about the restraints on her wrists, and so when he was met with resistance in trying to sit her up, she couldn't help but smirk.

"No, I cannot sit up." She said quietly, staring up at him. He removed his arm and unbuckled the ties around her wrists. He then pulled her up into a sitting position and held the glass to her lips. She shook her head and pressed her lips together into a defiant line.

"Do not be difficult."

She glared at him. "Answer my question and I won't be."

"Drink." He ordered, tipping the glass, forcing her to open her mouth before it could spill all over her. When she was done drinking, he released her and let her fall back against the bed. Naoko huffed and sat back up with some difficult, her eyes following him as he walked to the sink to rinse the glass. He turned to face her and leaned against the counter. They glared at each other; or rather, Naoko glared at him, and she could only assume that he was glaring at her. The weasel mask hid his face.

"Your name is Uchiha," she said, her voice a little smoother now that she'd drank something. "But you are not Shisui."

He did not respond. Naoko grew impatient. "Where is Shisui?"

He crossed his arms loosely across his chest. "His whereabouts should not concern you."

"The fact that it concerns me should not concern you." She flipped back her blankets and unbuckled the restraints on her ankles. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and slid to the ground. She swayed slightly, but kept her balance. Naoko rounded on the masked boy and crossed her arms. "Will you answer any of my questions?"

"No."

She huffed and clenched her hands into fists. She turned away from him and began walking towards the door. It was at that moment that the nurse and the green eyed man chose to walk in. The nurse was apoplectic with rage when her eyes landed on Naoko.

"What are you doing out of bed!" She seethed, pushing Naoko back towards the bed; gently of course. "I cannot believe you allowed her to get up!"

The person behind the weasel mask stood straight and bowed stiffly. "Forgive me. I was given an order to give her a drink, and I did not think to restrain her again. I was irresponsible."

The nurse ignored him and pushed Naoko back onto the bed. "I cannot believe you young lady. The wounds you sustained and the amount of blood you lost, well, I'm surprised to see that you're even awake after only a nights rest!"

"Injuries?" Naoko frowned, watching the nurse unwrap the thick gauze wrapped around her hands. "I do not understand."

The nurse paused and looked up at her. "You can't tell me you don't remember." She stood up straight and turned to look at the green eyed man. "Did you alter her memory or something?"

"No, I had no need to." The green eyed man peered curiously at Naoko. "Is she suffering from amnesia? She lost a lot of blood, and whatever she was going on about last night sounded pretty crazy to me. She woke up almost completely unresponsive."

"We really don't have a way to diagnose amnesia," the nurse said regretfully. "We don't know enough about her. Her name, if it's actually Naoko, her age, her date of birth… I mean, the list goes on. We can't exactly ask her questions and check for accuracy based on her records. Her brain scans showed nothing abnormal and her blood didn't even pull up any familial ties; we can't even check with the other hidden villages to see if she might be one of theirs. It would start up one big argument we don't need to get into right now."

The green eyed man nodded once. "So what do you think?"

The nurse returned to unwrapping the gauze. "I don't know."

"I am sorry."

Everyone looked at Naoko, but she was looking at the heart monitor that was now sitting quietly beside her bed. She was kicking her feet back and forth slightly, just far enough to where she wouldn't kick the nurse in the legs.

"What are you sorry for?" The nurse asked with a kind smile, almost reaching the end of the gauze. It was almost entirely red. "If you don't remember last night that's perfectly fine. You don't have to apologize."

Naoko shook her head and looked up at the man. "I caused trouble. You should not let me live."

The room went silent. The nurse stopped again and glared at the green eyed man briefly before returning her gaze to Naoko. "No dear, you deserve to live. Don't worry about any trouble you might cause. You're just not used to us is all. Don't worry, you'll be calling this home in no time-"

She gasped suddenly and stumbled away from Naoko. The green eyed man caught her before she could fall, glancing curiously over her shoulder. The gauze had fallen away from Naoko's hands to reveal smooth, ivory skin. There was no blood, but most importantly, there were no gashes marring the entire surface. The nurse pointed a shaking hand at Naoko.

"That should not be that way," she gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're hands should be covered in wounds from the glass you were sitting in! This is impossible!"

Naoko frowned at her hands, then held them up for everyone to see. "What is wrong with them?"

"You were badly wounded!" The nurse snapped. And then her eyes got impossibly wider. "T-the wounds… they were worse on the feet. Surely they're still there." She hurried forward and all but tore the gauze from Naoko's feet. Naoko waited patiently, her expression very calm. "They're gone! All of your wounds, they're all gone!"

Naoko's head tilted to the side slightly, and unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, "Is it okay to be wounded?"

"Of course," the nurse breathed, shaking her head, still unable to believe what she was seeing, "but not all of the time! Naoko, you were sitting in glass, grinding your hands and feet into it. I simply cannot believe that they've healed so perfectly overnight. There is no scarring; no sign that you were even wounded at all!"

"Do you want me to be wounded?"

"Of course not-"

"Do you want me to bleed?"

"Naoko, what are you-"

"I asked you a question." Naoko snapped, silencing the nurse.

The nurse shook her head. "No I don't want you to be wounded. I don't want to see anyone bleed. I'm a nurse. It's my job to fix people. But I just cannot believe you healed so quickly."

Naoko nodded slowly, thinking. "It is your job."

"Yes, it's my job," the nurse rubbed her face. "I make people stop bleeding. I fix them when they're broken."

"Would you like the chance to fix me properly?" Naoko whispered, almost too quietly for the nurse to hear. She looked up at the nurse with dead eyes. "I can let you do your job. You fix broken people. Fix me."

Naoko slid off the bed and took a step towards the nurse, holding her hands out to her. "Fix me."

The nurse frowned and took a step back. "I don't understand. What are you talking about? You're healed. I don't know how, but I can't do anything else."

"Fix me." Naoko kept her hands out. They were turning red. The nurse leaned forward, eying her hands. What looked like welt marks were rising quickly. Her eyes widened. "Fix me. It is your job. Do your job."

"Are you doing this?" The nurse gasped, reaching out and grabbing Naoko's hands. The welt marks were quickly rising, stretching her skin until it started to split. Blood began to seep through the split welts. "What are you doing? Stop it!"

"Fix me." Naoko watched the nurse intently. "It is your job. Do your job. Fix me."

The nurse watched, horrified, as blood began to pool around Naoko's feet. She stumbled away from the girl, shaking so hard she could barely stand. The green eyed man caught her before she could hit the ground, unable to speak. Naoko lowered her hands, her eyes never leaving the nurse.

"Why won't you fix me?"

The nurse shook her head and pushed away from the green eyed man, hurrying out of the room. Naoko turned back around, but before she could take another step towards the bed, her eyes rolled back and she fainted.


	9. Chapter 9

**I have been buried for years but why am I still breathing**

**I don't make mistakes**

**I bury them**

**-The Color Morale, Living Breathing Something**

* * *

Unlike her first few weeks of stay in the village Hidden in the Leaves, Naoko was given a decent sized room, and it actually looked like a room. There was a nice comfortable bed in the center, and there was a large window, that she was allowed to open, in the far left. The men and women that came to check on her every half hour to an hour were kind and gentle with her, asking her if she was hungry or if she ever needed anything. They made sure she never missed a meal and even went so far as to watch her eat it. If it weren't for the fact that she was being constantly monitored, she would venture to say that she was enjoying herself. She figured the life of a prisoner and the life of a lab rat were two very similar things.

For one, while she could freely walk about the facility, she was _not _allowed by any means to walk outside of the building. For two, while she was treated like a regular person, there were times when she was forced to lay down and allow blood and other types of things to be taken from her body. She had no say in the matter. There were days when they took no samples, and then there were days when they took so much blood, she wouldn't be able to walk in a straight line for a week. This was a normal occurrence.

Naoko's stunt at the hospital had cost her what little freedom she had finally obtained. Apparently, being able to close and reopen wounds at will is a skill a normal human being does not possess. She had never thought anything of it. It had always been something that she could do. In a tough battle, where acting like she was on the verge of death was the only way she could live, she bled a little more than needed. In times where she needed to recover quickly, her wounds vanished within a matter of minutes. Her body did all the work for her. It had never been something she could control completely. If she thought she needed to be healed, she was healed. If she felt the need to bleed a little, she bled a lot. Naoko supposed it was based on the small thoughts that she pushed into her subconscious, and then it happened. Almost instantaneously.

The problems with trying to test for any special gifts or medicines in her body was the fact that she healed too fast, bled too much, or simply didn't bleed at all. The days where they took no samples were the days she didn't bleed at all. When they stuck needles in her to get blood, nothing came out. This has thrown the scientists into a panic for a few weeks, but when they tested her, she was perfectly healthy. There was nothing wrong with her. They were alarmed by this, but eventually came to realize that it was normal. For Naoko at least.

She didn't know how long she had been inside the hospital—the laboratory part of the hospital, that is. It could have been weeks or months, but it was impossible to tell how many days had gone by when the sun and the moon were the only indicators that a day had even passed. They made sure to keep her from knowing the little details. Naoko asked very little of them, but they gave her what she thought was everything they could. No courtesy was spared.

"Do you feel anything?" She glanced down at the nurse, staring at the needle in her skin with disinterest. Naoko sighed and shook her head, knocking her heels against the side of her bed. This was a normal morning routine. After she woke up and ate, they took blood; or at least they tried to. "Pain, fatigue, or nausea?"

She shook my head ahead. "Nothing at all."

"Do you have any idea about this gift you have?" The nurse asked casually, removing the needle and bandaging her arm. "It might be something you inherited from your family."

She frowned. "I do not know," Naoko said. "I don't have a family."

The nurse smiled kindly. "We all have families, even if they aren't related to you at all. It could be friends that you have. But do you remember your mother or father at all?"

"I've never had a mother." She looked away from the nurse and her kind smile. "Or a father."

"I can't imagine a child without her mother or father," the nurse sighed. "Every little girl needs someone to look after them."

"I'm sorry." She said. "I don't know anything about that."

She patted Naoko's knee, effectively catching her attention. The nurse stood and sat beside her. "I think what you can do is a special gift from your mother."

"My... mother?"

"Yes," the nurse smiled, putting her arm around Naoko's shoulder. "A long time ago, centuries before you or I was born, there was a priestess who travelled everywhere, healing people of diseases and fatal wounds. She was revered as a type of goddess who'd been sent from heaven." The nurse nodded. "She would take some of her blood and give it to people. And then they were miraculously healed; it was as if they had never been sick before."

"I only heal myself." Naoko remarked, her nose wrinkling in distaste. "I have never heard of this woman."

"Well listen," the nurse said with a frown. "I don't know if it's true or not, but the legend says that she fell in love and had a child, but before she could raise her child, the man she fell in love with was mortally wounded."

"What happened?"

"She healed him of course," the nurse smiled again, but it was a very sad smile. "At the cost of her own life. He lived, but she died in his place. He took care of the child for as long as he could, but he eventually lost his mind; or so the legend says. He went missing, and so did the child."

"You think I am that child!" Naoko leaned away from her, but she only laughed.

"Of course not! Do you know how old you would have to be?" She laughed again. "I just think it would be interesting if you were descended from this great priestess. Her gift was remarkable, and so is yours."

Naoko grimaced. "That would have been a very long time ago." She glanced at the nurse, but she was still smiling. It was kind of unnerving. "How could I have inherited something that someone had so long ago?"

"It's called a kekkei genkai."

"Kekkei genkai?"

The nurse nodded. "Not everyone in the family will develop this gift, but there is always the potential for it. Sometimes it skips generation after generation, but then it will randomly manifest sooner or later. I've only heard about this particular gift from stories about the priestess. You and that woman are quite possibly the only people who've owned this ability."

Naoko nodded once, thinking about it. The nurse smiled, patted her knee, and left with her blood. When she closed the door to Naoko's room, she fell back against her bed, thinking about the possibilities of having such a gift. If she could heal not only herself, but others with just a little bit of her blood, she could only imagine what kind of help she could be to the ones who went out and fought. The shinobi who had to leave their families with the fear of them never coming back; could it be possible for her to make those fears go away?

She sat up and turned to stare out her window. The sky was a bright shade of blue; it was a beautiful day today, from what she could see. But what about the things she couldn't see?

It was hard to believe she was something special. The nurse made it seem like having a kekkei genkai was very rare, which wasn't unbelievable, but still difficult to wrap her mind around. She had never heard of a kekkei genkai before. What gave her the ability to have this gift in the first place? What allowed the priestess to have the gift? Had she really been sent from Heaven to perform miracles, like the nurse had said?

She rolled her eyes and pulled her knees up to her chest. That just wasn't possible.

Or was it?

There were still things she had never seen or done. How could she think that something she had never known about could be impossible? Nothing was impossible. Naoko being there was proof of that. She had thought she was going to die sooner or later, but she had been treated with nothing but kindness after she had become a 'citizen' of Konohagakure. Even if it was false kindness, it was kindness nonetheless.

But that thought brought her to Shisui. She sighed and held her legs tighter. He had not visited her once since she had been put into the hospital. Of course she hadn't expected him to, but it was just one of those thoughts that allowed her to get through the day. It was the thought of what if he did. It was thought of, what if he did come and see her, and it was because he wanted to, and not because he was ordered to. But why would he want to see her? Naoko had a suspicion that the night on the balcony had changed his thoughts about her. She figured she was no longer just some little girl.

She was a prisoner again. She was an enemy again. And finally, somewhere in Shisui's mind, that fact had finally stuck there. He had realized it too. That was why he hadn't visited her in the hospital. It was the reason why he still hadn't visited her while she was being tested for a various number of things. He didn't want to. No order could get him to see her. Shisui hated her. And it was something he had a reason to do. Shisui was under no obligation to like her. There was no rule that told Shisui he had to make sure she was happy and well cared for.

Naoko grimaced and held her hand over her heart. It was beating fast and hard against her chest, but it had done that many times before. The only difference was that now it hurt. Why? This was a new feeling for her. She could run for miles, and her heart would race uncontrollably, but never like this. It had never hurt before, not like this. Why, when she thought about him, did it hurt?

If he didn't want to see her, that was enough. It would end there. Only it didn't. The one thing that remained clear to her from that night was his expression. It had hurt then, too, but in a different way. Looking at him at hurt. But now it hurt to think about him too. His expression back then had been sad. Even if it hadn't been obvious from the beginning, it was obvious to her now. Whether it was because of what she did or what he knew would happen, she was unsure. Looking into his eyes that night though, Naoko had realized a sort of truth about herself. It seemed weird for her to say something like that, but it was true.

How had she managed to get herself into this mess? She had thought about it once, while she was still truly a prisoner. The difference between now and then was that she hadn't cared, and now she cared very much.


	10. Chapter 10

**Maybe tonight we can forget about it all**

**It could be just like heaven**

**I am a machine**

**No longer living, just a shell of what I dreamed**

**-30 Seconds To Mars, The Fantasy**

* * *

When she walked into her little apartment, the first thing she noticed was that it looked as though she had never even left, though it had been weeks, maybe even a month, since the last time she had stepped foot in this place. The first thing that occurred to her was the fact that the sliding glass door that led out onto the balcony had been repaired and could be opened freely. The first night of her stay in the lab portion of the hospital she had been told everything that had happened that night.

They weren't entirely sure what had triggered her violent outburst, but in what they assumed to be an attempt at escape, she had shattered the glass of the door. What had confused them the most was the fact that once she was outside, she had decided to sit in the middle of all of the glass, which was what had caused the wounds that had put her in the hospital and subsequently under investigation. Even after multiple attempts at trying to figure out how she could heal so quickly and open sealed wounds seemingly effortlessly, the scientists still could not understand. The question of her humanity had even been voiced on more than one occasion.

Naoko walked further into her apartment, kicking off her shoes and closing the door behind her. It was going to be the first night she officially stayed in her new "home." It felt alarmingly empty and devoid of life despite the fact that there was enough furniture to house two people. She frowned and looked around from her position in the middle of the living room. Getting an idea, she turned on her heel and, grabbing a knife from the kitchen, all but ran to her room. Kneeling on her bed, she grabbed her chin as she thought about the perfect place to begin.

She crawled towards the head of her bed and stood, jabbing the knife into the wall. She carved downwards in the shape of an arc, and then dragged it back up, creating a huge circle. She leaned back to examine the circle, and when she was satisfied, she began carving little lines into the side of it. When she was finished, she took a couple steps backwards and jumped off her bed. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Better."

Three distant knocks startled her. Naoko threw knife across the room and ran out, looking around. Three more knocks came from the direction of her front door, and smoothing the wrinkles out of her pants, she hurried to see who was there. But when she opened the door, she tried to close it again.

"Hey!" Shisui called, sticking his foot in between the door and the wall before it could close all the way. "It's just me."

"I know it is." Naoko snapped, leaning against the door with all of her weight. "I do not want to see you."

He pushed against the door. She grimaced and pushed harder, but her socked feet only continued to slip; she had nothing to push against. Naoko jumped back and Shisui came crashing into the apartment.

"Ouch," he grumbled, rising unsteadily. "What was all that for?"

"None of your business." She pointed towards the door. "Get out."

He crossed his arms across his chest. "My first day back from a mission and this is type of welcome I get? Some friend you are."

Shisui kicked off his shoes and walked into the apartment, his black eyes alert. "I really need to get you something to liven this place up a little. Maybe some flowers or something." He walked into the kitchen. "Where are your cups? I'm thirsty."

Naoko watched him with weary eyes. "Where have you been?"

"I just said I was on a mission." He said, opening a cabinet with plates. He sighed and turned to face her. "Seriously, where are the cups?"

"I have not familiarized myself with the kitchen." She admitted, grimacing. "I do not know."

He groaned and leaned down to check the bottom cabinets. "So, how have you been?"

"Well, I suppose." She muttered. "What was your mission?"

"What are you, my mother?" Shisui leaned up with a grin, a cup in his hand. "Stupid place to keep cups. We're going to have to fix that."

"You are avoiding my questions." Naoko snapped.

Shisui frowned, tapping his chin. "Am I? I answered your first question. Was there a second one?" He walked over to the sink and filled his cup up with water. "I can't remember."

"What was your mission?" She asked again, walking to the table so she could sit down. Shisui followed her, cup in hand.

He shrugged. "Just some reconnaissance. Nothing to be overly concerned about."

"I see." She looked away, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. Shisui took a drink and put his cup on the table, watching her closely. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes and sighed. "I am sure you know what I'm actually asking."

Shisui nodded once. "I'm sure I do. I kind of want to hear you ask it though."

Naoko looked down at her arms, chewing on her bottom lip. "I do not know how to ask."

"Sure you do!" Shisui encouraged. "You've just never had to ask it before."

"I don't know," she insisted, finally looking at him. Her eyes were sad. "Truly."

He sighed, running a hand through his short black hair. "I did tell you I was on a mission, Naoko. You know where I was and what I was doing. I thought you would understand. You're pretty smart and you're pretty strong for someone as small as you are. I didn't think I would have to explain everything."

"You have put too much faith in me." She snapped, looking away again. She sighed after a moment of silence and let her hands fall into her lap. She looked very defeated. "Why are you here now? I have been just fine over the past month. I have begun to believe certain things over time. You have a habit of ruining these things." Naoko glared at him. "I have found that I find it irritating."

He smiled. "What are friends for if they can't be a little irritating now and then? And I thought I would visit because you might want some company. I know you haven't had the chance to make any friends yet. You know. Besides me."

"You are a terrible liar."

"How do you know I'm lying?" Shisui said indignantly, but he was still grinning. "But, to be honest, I also have some good news."

Naoko leaned forward, resting her chin on the table. "What kind of good news?"

Shisui's grin grew wider. "Do you like the guessing game?"

"I do not."

He sighed. "You're no fun."

"Hurry up."

"Now I don't want to tell you."

Naoko stood up. "Then get out. I do not have time for games. I was actually busy when you so rudely decided to barge into my apartment."

"Hey, you opened the door first! I didn't barge." He ran after her, catching the door to her bedroom before it could close all the way. "What's up with you and slamming doors in my face? I still don't understand why you keep giving me the cold shoulder. Once I think you're opening up again, you shut back down. I don't get you."

"There is nothing to get, whatever that means. I told you to get out." Naoko snapped, peering around her door. "I have already told you more than once. If you will not tell me whatever good news you have brought, I do not wish to see you at this moment. Regardless of where you were or what you were doing, I have come to believe what I believe. Now you need to make your choice."

Shisui took a step backwards. "Fine. You're starting school in a few days. Happy now?"

"What?"

"You're starting school in a few days. You're not just stubborn, but you're deaf, too?"

Naoko walked out of her room, closing the door carefully behind her. "Has it already been that long?"

"It has." Shisui said. "You don't seem very excited."

She let out a breath. "I was not prepared for this. I am going to school."

"Yeah, you are. You're going to be in a class with a bunch of kids that are around your age, so you should be able to fit right in." Shisui paused, then grimaced for a second. "Well, I guess all you can do is try. You stick out like a sore thumb."

"Shisui!"

"Well," he grinned and reached forward, grabbing a lock of her hair to tug on it. "For one, you've got radioactive hair. It practically glows red. And you're abnormally short, even for a girl." He released her hair and waved his hand over her head. "And you don't talk like a normal ten year old. You're just a weird child overall."

Naoko ran her fingers through her hair, frowning. "I am not _weird_."

"Yes, yes you are." He laughed, patting her head. She slapped his hand away, indignant. "Would it make you feel better if I walked you to school everyday?"

Her ears turned pink. "No!" Then, looking alarmed, she added, "Do not go out of your way for me, Shisui. I have caused enough trouble for you and your village. I have received more kindness than I deserve."

"That's not entirely true," He walked around her and leaned against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. She followed his gaze, but there was nothing interesting to look at. "Everyone deserves all the kindness they can get in a lifetime. I think you can never be too kind to anyone. There are people that need it more than others." He glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes and grinned. "I don't always understand the things that come out of your mouth, Naoko, but I also know that you don't always understand me. I can say, however, that I think of you as a friend. I was the first person you actually talked to. Do you remember that?"

She nodded slowly. "I do. You asked for my name and you broke the rules to talk to me."

"I did!" He nodded happily. "And you told me a lot about you, and I told you a little bit about me. I think you thought of me as a friend even before you actually thought about it."

"I do not understand."

He turned and leaned on his shoulder, looking down on her. She looked up at him and then quickly looked away. "It doesn't matter. I can tell that you're scared."

"I am not afraid of anything!" She snapped, turning to glare at him. "I can go to school."

"I'm not just talking about school and you know it."

She frowned and folded her hands in front of her very tightly. "Shisui, what if they do not like me?" Her eyes got really wide as panic began to set in. "I do not know what I am supposed to say. I know they will ask me questions. The villagers have asked me questions, too, Shisui. What am I supposed to say?"

"Don't worry about it," he said calmly. "Everything is going to be okay." He hesitated for a fraction of a second and then he smiled. "Do you trust me?"

Naoko frowned for a moment, thinking about it. She wanted to say that she did, simply because he was always there for her, even though he had other things that he had to do. On more than one occasion he had not been there for her when she needed him the most, but he could not say no to a mission and she knew that. She knew it because of her own missions she had not been able to turn down. And because of that, she wanted to tell him no, she did not trust him. He was supposed to be her enemy. He was supposed to hate her and want to end her as quickly as possible.

He should not be able to so easily call her a friend.

Naoko didn't _want_ to trust him.

"I do." She said suddenly, surprising them both. "I do not want to. I do not know _why_ I do. But I trust you."

Shisui stood there for a moment, unable to comprehend what she was saying. But then he grinned and held out his hand, which she did not hesitate in taking. She liked it; it was just like the first day she had met him when he had taught her how to shake hands. But then he did something very unexpected: he hugged her.

* * *

**A/N: Okay guys, so I've reached my goal. The original and the revision are now equal; in terms of how many chapters there are, that is. I wanted to bring the revision up to speed, and so I have. To be honest, the revision is most definitely longer than the original. I'm about a chapter or two behind the original, so I think we're doing good in terms of speed. What do you guys think?**

**So, for those of you who actually enjoy my story and have gotten this far, this is for you. _THIS IS MEGA IMPORTANT._ Seriously. Since I have reached my goal of ten chapters, and I go back to school tomorrow, this story is going to be updated much more sparingly. I have a lot of missing work since I had to leave school early for vacation, so don't count on any updates for the next few days... maybe even a week. I'm going to keep my handy-dandy notebook with me at all times so if I get any ideas, I can jot them down. Hopefully this chapter lives up to the standards of my beloved readers. The revision has taken a different tone than original.**

**Wouldn't you guys agree (the ones who've read both versions)?**

**ANYWHOODLES. Please enjoy this update, because you'll being seeing less within the next week. I know I've been updating practically everyday, but now I'm going to have to space it all out.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I apologize for the lack of updating, but I had a bone test in anatomy, and then a test in my math class, and then a test in my English class, and I was just fucked all the way around. So, to make up for it, I tried to make this chapter longer than the others and more interesting. I threw in a new character because I didn't know what else to do, and he also pops up way later on in the story. I'm actually not entirely sure if I want him to be good or bad yet. I guess it remains to be seen. *shrugs* Enjoy!**

* * *

**And now it's your chance**  
** To move on, change the way you've lived for so long,**  
** Find the strength you've had inside all along**

**-Three Days Grace, Life Starts Now**

* * *

There were times she wanted to believe that her situation was impossible. There were times she wanted to believe that it was one of those dreams Shisui had once told her about, the ones where you could actually believe everything was okay. A part of her, even if it was just a small part, wanted to pretend that it was exactly like one of those dreams she'd never actually had. She could smile and laugh and pretend she understood the very things she could not believe she ever would. Like the love Shisui had for his village. It was actually the one thing she could never understand. It was the one thing she could not bring herself to pretend to do.

To love something, one first has to experience being loved. That was something Naoko had not felt before. She had known hatred and anger; sadness and pain; profound knowledge and complete ignorance; and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of happiness along the way. Long before she had found herself on the outskirts of Konoha these feelings would have been a bad thing; a curse. It would have been the cause for imperfection. She would have scorned herself for the things she felt and locked herself away. She would bring herself back to the darkness, recollect herself, and leave again as nothing. As everything _they_ would say.

_Perfection._

"So you have to have an opinion by now," Shisui said suddenly, leaning across the table and wagging his eyebrows conspiratorially. "I know you do. How long have you been living here? Two months? Probably closer to three. Well, anyway, how do you like the village so far?"

Naoko did not look up from the book she had stopped reading over half an hour ago. "I still do not have an opinion. I would rather remain indifferent for the time being." She tapped her tongue with her index finger and turned the page, her expression dull.

"Oh, come on!" Shisui groaned as he fell back into his chair. "You know you're enjoying yourself at least a little bit. You're lying if you say you aren't."

She sighed. "I am not going to argue. I have already told you once." She glanced at him, but he was glaring at the table, tapping his fingers impatiently. He looked like a little kid waiting for his mother to stop nagging him. "And I won't tell you again."

"I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times." He sighed. "Are you even reading? You don't look like you're reading. If you're bored, we could go find something to do; it's still early."

"Shisui, no." Naoko snapped her book shut and tucked it under her arm as she stood. "Besides, we do not have time for that. We should leave within the next five minutes."

He frowned, glancing up at the clock that sat on the wall across from him. "Five minutes? If we leave so soon you'll be early. Do you want to be called a nerd so early in the school year?"

"No, I simply do not want to be last. If I am the first there, I can avoid unnecessary attention. My punctuality is tactful." Naoko walked to the door and sat down to pull on her shoes. The ones she wore now were a pair of black ninja sandals Shisui had bought for her without her knowledge, and the shoes she'd had before had been a pair of worn out canvas sneakers.

In a way, she wished he had not gone to the trouble, but she did appreciate it. He had insisted she didn't thank him at all, saying that it wasn't like he'd gone out of his way or anything and that she'd really needed them, but she had not been able to thank him enough.

"You're gonna get made fun of," Shisui said as he walked up behind her, his socked feet barely making a sound. "I'm just trying to help you out."

"If we do what you say, I will be late." She snapped, slamming her feet against the ground as she stood. She turned to face him. "I am going to do this my way. You will simply follow. Understood?"

"Meow~!" Shisui pawed at her, grinning as he stepped into his shoes. "Someone is a little tense."

She ignored him and opened the door, pulling her key out of her pocket as she went. Shisui followed close behind her, muttering under his breath about things Naoko didn't care to listen to. The only thing she was worried about was the fact that today was going to be her first day at school. It wasn't just a new school (Shisui had explained that concept to her.) It was her first day at a school. Period. She would never admit it to Shisui, though he already knew, but she was scared.

No, not just scared, but terrified. It was one thing to fight people she didn't know. She was on the battlefield; she didn't care nor did it matter who she hit. It was another thing to face people she had never seen before and not be allowed to fight. She would have to be nice.

"You're thinking about something." Shisui said conversationally. "And I think I know what it is."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "You obviously think way too much. You should relax sometimes. That usually makes things easier."

Naoko shook her head. "It does not matter."

"It kind of does," he said, "but whatever suits you." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Do you think you'll do good in school?"

She nodded. "Academically speaking, I am sure. Socially, I am not quite as sure."

Shisui laughed. "It's because you talk like you're a thousand years old! You should talk normal. Talk like me."

"How do I talk like you?"

"I don't know, just repeat whatever I say." He said, looking at her expectantly.

"Am I supposed to repeat that, too?"

"Yes!" He sighed. "I did say everything!"

"Yes! I did say everything!"

Shisui laughed. "Yeah, like that. But it doesn't suit you." He nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Just keep talking all smart-like. You'll attract smart people, which is good. You don't want a bunch of idiots dragging you down."

Naoko frowned. "Dragging me down?" She thought about that for a moment. "Do you mean hurting me?"

"I guess so. It depends on what you're talking about." He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "If you're surrounded by idiots, then you'll have to pick up the slack. The Academy students work in teams. You'll have two other people with you whenever you go outside for training or something."

Naoko nodded. "And I want to attract smart people so I can be the best."

"Exactly!" Shisui grinned and nodded. "You want to be the best of your class. At the very top. Since no one else will be really making sure you're doing your best, I'll do it. Don't think I'll go easy on you."

Shisui stopped walking suddenly and ducked into a mock fighting position, jumping around and thrusting his fists forward rapidly. "We can train everyday, and I can even help you with your homework, but don't count on me for the math. I can do it, I just don't like it." He returned to normal and patted Naoko on the head. "You're on your own with that one, kiddo."

"Don't call me that," she muttered, slapping his hand away. She walked around him and continued walking in silence, her eyes staying glued to her feet. How much further away were they from the school? Twenty feet? One hundred feet? With every step she took she could feel herself getting more nervous.

"If you don't stop walking you'll hit the wall." Shisui said. Naoko looked up and quickly stopped walking, shocked.

And then she felt sick. "Okay, time to leave."

"Oh, no you don't!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. "Where's all your bravado from the other day, huh?"

"It never existed in the first place." She said, her eyes shifting from the school, to Shisui, and back to the school. "I am sure you know what acting is."

"Duh." He rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just keep acting? They'll eat you alive if you let them."

"You said they were just kids!"

"You're a kid too, kiddo!" Shisui laughed. "They're not afraid of someone so small."

"I cannot do this."

"Sure you can. Take deep breaths, ignore the loud-mouthed idiots, and sit with smart people." He nodded to himself. "That's what I did. You'll be just fine."

"Did you have problems in school?" She asked hesitantly.

"Of course not. I was freakishly tall then and alarmingly adorable. Of course I did get into a lot of trouble for fighting. But that's beside the point. The point is that you just need to worry about yourself. Don't worry about all of the other kids. Let them do the worrying."

"I am going to blame you if something goes wrong." She said, turning away from him. "And I am going to hit you."

"I'll let you beat me to a pulp." He said with a grin. "Only because one, I know you won't be able to lay a finger on me, and two, because nothing is going to go wrong. Go get 'em, kiddo!"

"I told you not to call me that." She snapped, then took a few steps towards the school. Then a few more until she was walking at a slow, even pace. Her heart was beating in double-time, almost tripping over itself because she was so nervous. There was no reason why she needed to be nervous; it was a brand new year. More than likely, no one would recognize her as a new student. She had been walking around the village for a long time now, so maybe everyone would recognize her. Maybe she wouldn't get asked a ton of questions about where she came from.

But that was just wishful thinking on her part.

When she reached her classroom, it was almost completely empty. A few students were already sitting in their desired seats and talking quietly amongst themselves. They looked up to see who she was, then after a few seconds of staring, returned to their conversations. Naoko, with her eyes to the ground, quickly walked up the steps to the seats in the very back of the classroom. When she sat down, she took deep breaths and felt herself calm down a little bit. So far, so good.

"You're in my seat."

_I spoke too soon._

"I am sorry. I did not know." Naoko stood, but was pushed back down by a boy. She looked up, alarmed, but he was grinning. White hair hung low and sat on long white eyelashes. His skin was tanned from what had probably been years of exposure to the sun, and his eyes were a quiet color of blue.

"Don't worry about it," he laughed, taking his hand off of her shoulder. He sat down in the seat beside her. "It actually isn't my seat. I saw you sitting up here by yourself when I walked in and thought I would come up here and introduce myself."

"That was nice of you." She frowned. "Though you should not have gone to the trouble."

"It's no trouble." He said. "My name is Akihiro by the way. Kobayashi Akihiro."

"I am called Naoko." She said.

"You don't have a last name?" He asked, honestly curious.

She shrugged, thinking. "Are last names important?"

"They can be." He nodded, frowning. "It tells people what clan you're from and things like that."

She tapped her chin, thinking about the last names she had heard around the village. If she wanted to make people think that she was from their village, or at least make them think that she had been here for a while, she would need a similar last name to the ones she had heard. She glanced at Akihiro and said, "Uchiha."

He blanched. "_You're _an Uchiha?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, of course not." He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I just didn't think you were from _that _clan. I guess it makes sense; you sound like them. I just didn't know because of your hair and your eyes. They always have dark hair and eyes, but you- well, you're-"

"Glowing?" She frowned and held up some of her hair so she could examine it. "I was told that my hair is radioactive."

"Well, whoever told you that was right," Akihiro laughed again. "Well, it was nice to meet you _Uchiha_ Naoko. We should hang out sometime, just you and me. We could just walk around the village or we could get something to eat."

She smiled hesitantly. "Okay." Then she frowned. "I will have to ask Shisui first."

"Is that your cousin or something?" Akihiro rested his chin in his hand, watching her curiously.

Naoko shook her head. "He looks after me."

He sat up quickly. "Do you have parents?"

"I do not," she said slowly, looking away. "Or, I am unsure. I suppose I do. Shisui tells me that you have to have a mother and a father, because that is how you are born, but I have never seen either of them." She reached up for her hair and mindlessly twisted it around her hand as she got lost in her thoughts. "Are they important to have?"

"Very important," Akihiro nodded, sitting up straighter now. "Your mom is supposed to be there to… to feed you and make you feel better when you're upset. And your dad is there to make you strong and keep you on the right path. They're the coolest people you'll ever know, but I always hear some people saying they hate their parents. They would probably think you're the luckiest girl in the world."

"I think I understand." She said quietly. Akihiro sat in an awkward silence, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't he sighed and stretched his arms above his head. When she didn't react, he began tapping his fingers on the desk in front of him. Glancing at her out of the corners of his eyes, he realized she was still thinking about something. He grimaced and looked forward again.

"Akihiro-san," she said suddenly. "Do you have a mother and father?"

"Of course," he scoffed. "My dad is one of the best shinobi in the village, and my mother works in a tea shop. My dad is the best. He trains me every chance he gets. Say, Naoko, does this Shisui guy train you?"

"He has not trained me in the way you mean," she said, "but he teaches me things I do not understand."

"Really?" He turned his whole body around so he could face her. "Like what does he teach you? I bet I could teach it better."

She hesitated. "He teaches me personal things. You know," she gestured with her hands in a way that made her look like she was trying to grab the word she was looking for out of mid-air. "Things like family and what it is. He teaches me things about the village," she reached up and touched the side of her head. "And how to be normal around other people."

"Normal?"

"Yes!" She smiled at the memory. "Shisui tells me that I do not talk like everyone else, so I sound weird and too old. He tried to teach me to talk like him, but he told me it did not suit me. I suppose I am not good at being normal, but I think that he thinks that that is best. He did not try anything else, but I thought it was…" she struggled for the word again. "Fun."

Akihiro laughed. "You're weird, but it's cool."

"Good morning, class!"

Naoko quickly turned her head to look at a woman with brown hair pulled back into a tight bun. She had dark brown eyes and wore a bright smile. She had her hands on her hips, and sitting on the desk behind her was a rather large stack of papers. By that point the class had filled up with kids Naoko had never seen before.

"My name is Mori Hana, but of course you may only call me Mori-sensei." She smiled brilliantly. "I think we'll start the day with introductions and see what we can get done after that. We have a busy year ahead of us. Remember this: you'll be Genin soon!"

The class cheered, but Naoko did not. She look around confused. Akihiro sat beside her with a huge grin on his face. She turned back to Mori-sensei.

"You," Mori-sensei gestured to Naoko. "You can be the first to introduce yourself. To make it fun I'll choose at random."

Akihiro grinned at Naoko, unaware of the fact that her heart was pounding in her chest. She stood and walked towards the front of the classroom where Mori-sensei gave her an encouraging smile and gestured for her to begin. Naoko turned and faced the class, looking at every student, wondering how they could all be so different and still look the same. They were staring at her, obviously bored, waiting for the introductions to be over. Her eyes fell on Akihiro who nodded his encouragement. She sighed and clasped her hands together tightly.

"I am called Uchiha Naoko," she said, keeping her eyes on Akihiro. A few girls sat up a little straighter and glanced at each other, their eyes conveying their disbelief. The guys smirked at each other. "And…" she frowned, looking down at the ground, grasping desperately for something else she could say about herself.

"Where are you from?"

Naoko look up alarmed. A tall girl with pretty blonde hair had rose to her feet. Her palms were pressed against her desk and there was a mean smirk on her face.

"Where are you from, Naoko?" She asked again. "I've only seen you a few times, so I know you haven't been in this village for very long. Who are your parents? Are you really an Uchiha? You don't look like one. I think you're lying."

"I…" Naoko grimaced. "I live here. I do not wish to speak of my past. My lineage does not happen to be any of your business." Naoko's hands held each other tighter as her agitation with the girl grew. "If you would like to prove me wrong, then by all means, do." She took a deep breath and turned away from the blonde haired girl. "I like the sun," she said. "I like to be outside when it is warm."

Naoko turned to look at the teacher, who smiled and nodded. "Very good, Naoko. You can go sit down now, if you're done."

She nodded once and hurried up to her seat. Once Naoko was seated, she rested her head on her arms and glared at the surface of her desk. Akihiro nudged her with his elbow. She peeked over her arm to see him grinning.

"That girl down there, her name is Tsubame." Akihiro whispered. "She was in my class last year. She's really smart and comes from a wealthy family, and she can be really mean. What you said to her was awesome. I never would have been able to say something like that."

Naoko shrugged. "I felt angry that she would try to…" she struggled again for the words. She sat up and crossed her arms. "I do not know exactly. But I felt angry, and I retaliated. Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not at all," Akihiro grinned. "If someone is mean to you, you're allowed to be mean back!"

Naoko nodded. "I am allowed to defend myself. I do not have to be nice."

"Exactly."


End file.
